Danger and the Doctor
by CommadoreRobespierre
Summary: On their way to visit the mysterious "Mr. Smith", something collides with the Tardis, forcing the Doctor and his friends to land to assess the damage.  But, whatever hit them cannot compare with what they're about to become entangled in on Earth in 2053AD


**DANGER AND THE DOCTOR**

The darkness was total, save for a few weak shafts of light filtering through the drawn blinds and illuminating the dusty dull red carpet. Everything was veiled in a thin layer of dust and mustiness hung in the air, so substantial that you could almost see the filmy particles. The room, and indeed the house, had been long ago abandoned to the slow decay of entropy and a dead silence pervaded the interior. Or so it seemed it first, but for the perceptive listener there issued a soft blip. Once, twice and then three times in a timid but steady sequence. It came from the darkened room, the only one with all blinds lowered and at the back of the house where it was unlikely to be disturbed. And there, in the corner of the room positioned on top of a sturdy desk, something waited beneath a sheet covered in dust. The quiet blips emanated weakly from it and very faintly beneath the sheet, a blue light could be discerned blinking in time to the beeps, a weak but regular pulse of something or someone. Waiting, as it had been for countless days, months, years. Simply wasting away.

The Tardis was dark and quiet except for a low humming from deep within its bowels. The Doctor, face half illuminated by the dim orange of the central console, tentatively placed his white knight onto the console's chessboard and smiled triumphantly.

"Check!" A barely perceptible whirring ensued and a black queen slid smoothly across the board, dissipating the holographic knight. "Oh. Blast. And I suppose that's checkmate then, is it?" He examined the board with a sigh. "You'd think the last thirty-two times would've taught me…" The Tardis suddenly jerked with a colossal force as something collided with a mighty crash and the Doctor was thrown onto the floor. He landed with a thump in a sprawled heap as warning lights flashed and klaxons blared.

"Warning, turbulence imminent," a calm voice cautioned from the console.

"A bit late!" He yelled indignantly as he picked himself up. Another powerful jolt hurled him violently to the ground again. "My mistake," he apologised to the Tardis as he nursed his bruised limbs.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Lorelei stumbled down the stairs in pyjamas as the Tardis steadied itself once more.

"Well, from my not inconsiderable knowledge, I'd say that foreign matter has transcended the space-time continuum in accordance with our coordinates at the opposite velocity."

"Huh?" Lorelei rubbed her eyes.

"Something's hit us," he clarified wryly.

"Oh. Well, I wouldn't go into Amy and Rory's room." The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Amy and Rory emerged from the landing right on cue. Entangled together ridiculously in a bed sheet, they managed to hobble gingerly down the stairs with a small amount of bickering. The Doctor burst out laughing at the sight. "You two look like a pantomime sheep gone wrong," he chortled.

"Erm, could someone untangle us please?" pleaded Rory.

Once Lorelei had extracted Amy and Rory, they all gathered around the Doctor as he pressed buttons and turned various knobs.

"So, what's going on?" asked Amy.

"Something managed to slip into our space-time stream, but from what I can see there's no system damage. I'm going to land and have a look."

"But we've never hit anything before," contemplated Amy. "I mean, we're travelling through time and space, aren't we?"

"Correction: nothing has ever hit us." The Doctor pushed down a final lever to park the Tardis and dashed to the door. They followed in perplexed curiosity and emerged to a crisp twilight on a quiet city street. The Doctor examined two long gashes to the Tardis in dismay. "Oh, my poor Tardis. What have the nasty particles done to you, eh? I can almost see some of your circuitry." He gasped. "You're naked!"

"Doctor, it's a machine. I don't think anyone's going to call the police." Amy remarked.

"Ironically," added Lorelei, glancing at the 'police box' sign on the door.

"She's not just a machine!" disputed the Doctor. He turned back to the Tardis. "Don't listen to her. We'll get you all fixed up as soon as I've done a full scan."

"This doesn't look that big; I thought what hit us must have been huge!"

"Not necessarily," answered the Doctor. "Even something with near zero mass travelling at close to the speed of light would be unbelievably heavy if it hit you. E = mc squared as Alby put it."

"Alby?" Amy suppressed a scoff. "I suppose you and Einstein are good friends?"

"Who else do you think got him thinking about quantum radiation?" Rory peered closely at the wounds, extending a hand to touch them.

"No, Rory, don't-" A crackle of red lightning zapped Rory's hand and he wrenched it back with a yelp. "Touch it," finished the Doctor wearily. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not going to turn into a phone box now, am I?" asked Rory, rubbing his hand.

"Oh, no, no…probably not."

"Probably?"

"He's joking, sweetie," Amy assured.

"Oh. Yeah. I knew that. So was I," Rory blushed.

"Where are we?" asked Lorelei as she gazed at the street. The others followed her gaze and took in the mottled mixture of old and modern buildings – skyscrapers and offices stretched into the distance from their comparably suburban street, many with flashing displays on their sides. A sleek silver train zoomed past a few streets away.

"London, two thousand and fifty-three AD," declared the Doctor. "Actually, almost where I wanted to be. Fancy that."

"This…is the future," murmured Lorelei, transfixed. "Well, at least I know we survive this far."

"Oh, you lot are around for ages," smiled the Doctor. "Millions of years, maybe even billions. Nothing can stop the human race from surviving."

"Can we have a look? Go and see how it's changed?"

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a trip if we didn't. The Tardis needs an hour or so to scan itself anyway. Shall we?" He gestured elaborately.

"Brilliant!" grinned Lorelei as they all sauntered down the street. "The cars…they're all electric," she pointed as she noticed the lack of exhaust pipes.

"Took you all long enough…" quipped the Doctor. "All the horrible fossil fuels when there's loads of pure energy to be harnessed if you know where to look." They neared the inner city where cars whizzed past more frequently and people traversed the streets.

"We still have parking metres…" Amy commented dolefully as they passed a row. "But there's nowhere to put money." She scrutinised one of the machines, searching for a slot.

"Look." Rory indicated a young man in a T-shirt who had just parked walking to the machine next to theirs. He pressed a few buttons and then waved his wrist in front of the screen. The machine issued a beep and his ticket spewed out from a slot. "What's that gold thing on his wrist?" Rory murmured.

"That, my friend is the future of all money and credit cards," replied the Doctor. "It's like a tattoo, but slightly deeper and it can talk to computers. Well, when I say talk it's more like a toddler talking, but you'll get there."

"Oh, stop being so superior, Mr. 'I'm a Time Lord who knows everything'," teased Amy as they continued walking.

"Hey, I was complimenting you," protested the Doctor.

"Yes, but you were managing to do it in a way that was insulting." The Doctor frowned as he considered this and Amy scoffed playfully at his confusion.

They all marvelled at the advancements in technology as they saw people talking into rings on their fingers and handheld flexible screens that were newspapers with moving images.

"Whoa, that redefines window shopping," observed Lorelei as she watched a woman preview clothing in a shop window that was then fitted on a projection of herself. "Is she asking her friends for their opinion?" Another face had popped up on the screen and was talking to the woman as she changed the outfits colour.

"So obsessed with screens, all of you," grumbled the Doctor. "I wonder when the last time was she talked with a friend in person."

"I'm sure nothing will ever replace human interaction," said Amy confidently.

"Wait until you see the holograms and tell me that," countered the Doctor. "You can project yourself into another location so that you don't even have to leave the house to be with friends. Some people have gotten married without ever physically meeting each other."

"That I don't find surprising," smiled Amy ruefully. "Rory, are you alright?" Rory was clutching his hand tightly with a grimace.

"Yeah, don't worry. It just started hurting again suddenly."

"Let me see." The Doctor examined Rory's hand. "No burn from the Tardis." He scanned it with his sonic screwdriver and frowned. "That's not right. There's nothing that I can see."

"But it must be from the Tardis," insisted Amy.

"How much does it hurt?" the Doctor asked Rory.

"Not that much."

"Rory, now is not the time to be manly."

"Alright, a lot," Rory grit his teeth. "Like it's on fire."

"You know what that feels like?" the Doctor inquired.

"That's a long story."

"Well, let's get you back to the Tardis and see what the problem is."

"Doctor, I don't mean to be rude, but are you a real Doctor, Doctor?" asked Rory awkwardly as the Tardis scanned his arm.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're called 'the Doctor', but are you a medical Doctor? I mean, it's just that we're in the future in a place that has advanced technology…" A detailed scan of his arm appeared on a display accompanied by various columns of data.

"I was right; there's no serious physical wound to your arm, but something is causing the nerves to send pain signals to your brain."

"Are you su-"

"Trust me, I'm the Doctor. Here, I'll give you something for the pain." He took a small canister and applied it to Rory's arm. "Better?" Rory relaxed slightly.

"Yes...no! It's back." He grit his teeth again. The Doctor frowned even more.

"Now that's very, very not right." He pressed some more buttons and checked the screen. "It's…gone," he breathed in astonishment.

"What's gone?" asked Amy.

"The pain relief serum I just gave him. Like something's just eaten it."

"There's something inside me?"

"Don't panic," instructed the Doctor. "I hate it when you panic. The Tardis didn't pick up anything, so it must be extremely small. A virus or an infection. Or a very small thing that eats pain killers."

"Very good, Doctor." A small mocking voice came over the speakers.

"What, who's that? Where are you?" The Doctor spun around.

"I'm right here. Inside the Tardis."

"But we can't see you," exclaimed Lorelei.

"I'm inside the Tardis," the voice repeated.

"Are you doing this to Rory?" demanded Amy. "Because, if you are, I'm going to come and kick your butt! Assuming you have one."

"Where are you?" called Lorelei somewhat fearfully as she scrutinised the Tardis.

"I'm inside the Tardis," came the eerie reply. The Doctor abruptly stopped looking, his eyes on the central console.

"Inside the Tardis…" he murmured and sprang to the controls. "The collision…how did you cross our space-time stream?" he asked as he worked frantically, looking up at the screen every few moments.

"I didn't. You crossed mine."

"But the Tardis has matter avoidance technology. Anything bigger than a cloud of dust would be avoided. Unless…unless! But how…what are you?"

"You do not know me, but I know you, Time Lord. Your kind destroyed us."

"How? When?"

"The Time War." The Doctor stopped working and heaved a sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry. Many creatures suffered in that war; my own people were also destroyed except for me. But there's nothing I can do, and damaging my Tardis isn't helping your case."

"Yes, there is," the voice hissed. "Take us back."

"I can't," said the Doctor sadly, but firmly. "There are fixed points in time. If I interfere it could destroy the entire universe. Why do you think I haven't saved my own people?"

"You will do it," the voice demanded fiercely.

"No, I won't," the Doctor's patience began to wane.

"Doctor…" Amy drew his attention quietly to Rory who was now doubled over, clutching his chest in pain.

"You're friend seems to be in some distress," sneered the voice.

"What have you done to him?" commanded the Doctor. "What have you done?"

"You take us back or your friend will die."

"I. Can't." Rory cried out and Amy and Lorelei held him anxiously. "You aren't going to gain anything by killing him!" called out the Doctor desperately. "I can't help you! And if you don't leave in the next few minutes, I'm going to have to hurt you." Rory suddenly collapsed, gasping and Amy hugged him.

"It's…stopped," Rory panted.

"It's inside the Tardis machinery, isn't it?" confirmed Lorelei. The Doctor nodded. "How much control does it have?" The Tardis abruptly beeped and flashed, then silence. The Doctor checked the readouts.

"It tried to take off. Only I can take off. But the Tardis can't recognise it, doesn't know what it is and can't fight it."

"Do you know what it is?"

"Something small enough to dodge the matter avoidance system that was affected by the Time War. Something that got inside Rory through a spark."

"You must take us back," the voice returned. The Doctor sighed.

"Listen to me: if I go back there, the whole fabric of space-time will come undone and the universe as we know it will end. Not good. If I don't go back there, you kill Rory and possibly all of us, but the universe survives. Also not good, but obviously the non-insane option. Which do you think I'm going to choose?" Silence ensued as they all waited for a response.

"Take us back." The strained words echoed urgently.

"I can't," stated the Doctor.

"You don't know that. You can't know everything."

"Now you're just being irrational. Almost human. What are you?" There was no reply, but a soft shimmering sound began to resonate through the space, and something materialised gradually in front of them from out of the console. It was a pale pink with ethereal smooth skin that sparkled as though it were composed of millions of tiny crystals. Two human looking eyes were set in a comparatively small round head and its body was thin and trunk-like with only what appeared to be an indistinct tail. It was translucent and so light that it seemed to drift waif-like in the air. It gazed intently at the Doctor.

"You don't know me," it announced in a harmoniously smooth voice. "You're afraid."

"No," said the Doctor. "Well, a little bit. You are kind of eerie."

"Not always. I used to be a humanoid until our planet was contaminated by the Time War and my species began to die except for a few who evolved, becoming what you see now. A form degenerated."

"But you can change your form into a state close to pure matter. That's got to be a plus."

"Yes and no. I miss wearing clothes."

"Yeah, b-"

"Bowties are not cool," Amy reprimanded. "I'm sure he…she…sorry, what's your name?"

"Rym. I was a male."

"Right. I'm sure Rym wasn't referring exclusively to bowties. Were you?"

"No, I wasn't. Although-"

"Don't encourage him," advised Amy.

"You have to accept I can't take you back to your people," the Doctor got back on topic.

"No. There must be a way."

"Sometimes there isn't a way," said the Doctor gently. Rym considered.

"You are a Time Lord. You are the way." With these words Rym propelled himself with surprising agility through the air and, upon contact with the Doctor, vanished into him with a crackle of red electricity.

The Doctor cried out and staggered into the railing.

"Doctor!" called Amy concernedly.

"It's alright, I'm al-" he grimaced and gritted his teeth.

"What do we do? How do we stop it?" asked Lorelei anxiously.

"I…don't know." The Doctor grasped his temples. "Ungh, it's in my head…but, aha! You can't access my thoughts!"

His arm suddenly whirled up. "Oh no…" His other arm followed suit stiffly. "It's got control of my muscles! Quick, somebody…tackle me!" He struggled against the inner force, but it made him take a lurching step forward. "Come on, then!" he shouted impatiently. "I know you all want to."

"I can't move," called Rory, a little too unhappily. Amy sprang deftly to her feet, but Rory lashed out and grabbed her, holding her tightly.

"Rory! Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, it's not me," Rory apologised. The Doctor took another grudging step forwards and looked anxiously at Lorelei.

"Sorry about this," she said sincerely as she took a run up and crashed headlong into the Doctor, knocking him off his feet. They went tumbling down the walkway of the Tardis in a mess of limbs, stopping with a thud near the door.

"Good tackle," grunted the Doctor. "Oh no, I'm sorry!" He roughly pushed Lorelei off and stood awkwardly, doggedly continuing back towards the console. Lorelei rolled to her feet and dived, spear-tackling him roughly to the ground. The Doctor groaned. "This is why I avoid Australia – I always end up getting tackled." His body, recovered from the shock, wrenched around to confront Lorelei, hands lunging for her throat. Lorelei choked and tried in vain to pull them away. "No! Stop it!" yelled the Doctor to his body. "You're killing her! Rym! You're not a murderer, Rym!" He stared helplessly as Lorelei struggled, growing weaker by the moment. "Lorelei, you're going to have to hurt me. A lot. I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but kick me. Just like if any other man was strangling you. You know where; Rym was a man once." Lorelei's eyelids began to flutter. "Stay awake! Fight it, Lorelei! Just one hard kick. Come on, you can do it…kick me!" With the last reserves of her strength, Lorelei pulled her leg back and booted the Doctor between the legs. He howled in pain and immediately released her, rolling in the foetus position on the floor. Lorelei crumpled and sucked in air, semi-conscious.

"She'll do it again, Rym!" bellowed the Doctor in between gasps. "I'll make her do it again. I'll make her sedate me if I have to! You are not destroying the universe." The silvery shimmering sound appeared again and another pink wispy figure emanated as a red spark from Rory's hand, materialising just in front of him. Rory's body relaxed and he sighed in relief. Amy tousled his hair.

"That is the most intense hug you've ever given me," she smiled. The alien addressed the Doctor.

"Enough, Rym!" she called stiffly. "Please," she addressed the Doctor, "forgive my husband. He has suffered much. I am Zimfa, and we are the last of the Braxen," she spoke in a similar melodious voice a little higher than Rym's. "Doctor, as your kind along with the Daleks devastated us, so can you give us another chance."

"I told you," panted the Doctor. "I can't." Zimfa made a movement that once might have been shaking her head. "We cannot change the outcome of the War any more than we can wear clothes. Inhabiting the electrical signals of machines and living creatures is the closest we come to a physical entity."

"Then why go back? And can your husband please at least leave me alone for this conversation?" A red spark shot out from the Doctor's head and Rym drifted sullenly over to his wife as the Doctor stumbled over to Lorelei.

"What did I tell you about your temper?" scolded Zimfa.

"I'm sorry, dear. We were so close."

The Doctor cleared his throat and looked up from Lorelei.

"Let's not discuss matters past."

"There is so little of us left," said Rym softly. "We have been drifting in time and space for so long since our form decayed. All we want is to be with our people. Before the War. Just to be. I was desperate before, I'm sorry. But when we found you, discovered who you were, we couldn't believe our luck: someone who could take us back to our world."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked the Doctor. "You were willing to hurt my friends just to gain control of the Tardis."

"We're no longer physical beings. All we could do is speak or inhabit, let alone alter the outcome of history. Let us go there and leave us. We'll live what we have left in a time before the War, drifting in the air above."

Lorelei stirred and opened her eyes and the Doctor turned back to her.

"Don't sit up yet," he ordered and then looked back to the Braxen. "What's stopping me from leaving you here for a while; prove yourself on earth before I take you back to wherever you're from?"

"But the planet's wind will blow us away! Please, Doctor. We just want to be with our people," Zimfa pleaded. Sudden muffled screams reached them from outside and the Doctor cocked his head to one side then looked questioningly at the Braxen.

"It's not us, we're right here," defended Rym.

"In that case, wait here." The Doctor rushed outside. Amy and Rory quickly helped Lorelei up and followed him outside, only to walk straight into him.

"Wow, it's dark," exclaimed Rory.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," joked the Doctor.

"Full moon," mused Lorelei as she gazed at the sky, dark and rich without the city lights polluting it. Cries and shouts echoed down the street and they all watched with curiosity as the figure of a man ran straight into a pole.

"Ouch," winced Amy as he stumbled backwards and onto the ground.

"That's what staring at a screen all day will do to your night vision," commented the Doctor and walked promptly to the man's aid.

"Are you alright there?" The man held his bruised head and squinted at the Doctor.

"Yes, yes, thank you. I just got confused. It all just went out, all the electricity."

"Has that never happened before?" asked the Doctor easily as he helped the man up.

"Thanks. Well, no. Not unless there's an earthquake or something. People are panicking everywhere." The man brushed himself off.

"What's your name?"

"Oliver. And you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Just 'the Doctor?'" The Doctor nodded. "Fair enough. I have a friend called 'Trouble'. Great way to arrive anywhere: 'here comes Trouble'". Rory made a noise of interest and looked at Amy.

"No, you're not changing your name to 'Danger'," she said firmly.

"Just my middle name?"

"No."

"Rory Danger Williams…"

"No!"

"Ignore those two," the Doctor smiled impishly to Oliver. "And, anyway, it would be 'Rory Danger Pond', which implies killer ducks or acid or something."

"No, it's-"

"Don't argue, Pond." Rory sighed in exasperation.

"Thank you," Amy whispered to the Doctor.

"You're welcome. Now, Oliver, do you know where the city's electricity is stored?"

"There's a big plant up the top of Smith's hill. I can drive you there."

"Thank you very much, that would be lovely."

"When you said you'd drive us, I admit this isn't quite what I had in mind," said Rory. "Not that I'm complaining," he added hastily as Amy, who was sitting on his lap, turned to give him a warning look. The buggy-like smart car zoomed smoothly up the hill and Oliver smiled apologetically from the front seat, of which there was one due to the tricycle-like design of the car.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention I had a buggy. It's the most economical for city driving."

"Am I crushing you, Doctor?" asked Lorelei who was perched awkwardly on the Doctor's knees. "No, no…well, could you shift a little to the left? Ah, thank you."

"What do you think it is, Doctor?" asked Amy.

"I don't know. But, given we've already got the Braxen on earth, it wouldn't surprise me if something else is here too."

"What on earth is a Braxen?" Oliver interjected from the front. They all exchanged looks.

"Ummm…it's a long story," explained Rory.

"We've got a few minutes," pursued Oliver.

"Did I mention it's also a very strange story? And long and confusing."

"We'd need a lot of tea and jammy dodgers to explain," added the Doctor.

"Doctor, there might not be jammy dodgers in the future…" undertoned Amy.

"Deal," announced Oliver. "After this is all over, tea and biscuits at my place."

"Jammy dodgers never die," grinned the Doctor.

The confused panic of the city died away as they drove up the hill and the buildings became sparser. Oliver drove slowly in the darkness and they braked heavily several times to avoid people wandering tentatively in the street.

"Look at that," breathed Rory, gazing out at the view. "The whole city's in darkness." Beyond the hill was a sea of darkness dotted with the occasional faint pinprick of light from a torch or a household on solar power. Soon they arrived at the towering electricity plant, guarded by a barbed wire fence and security post. The post was deserted and they drove through slowly, parking just outside the main entrance. Oliver took a torch from the car and they warily walked across the tarmac towards a pair of sliding doors.

"Doctor," Rory whispered a caution and hurried over to the prostrate figure of a guard, just visible as a misshapen lump in the darkness. Stooping, he checked for signs of life. "Unconscious," he pronounced with a hint of apprehension and relief that it wasn't anything worse. The Doctor nodded, a tinge of relief also in his eyes.

"Everyone stay quiet and keep your eyes open," he instructed.

"But I was planning on keeping my eyes closed," protested Lorelei and the Doctor tried to look sternly at her, but couldn't help smiling.

"In this darkness it won't make much difference," murmured Oliver as they crept to the entrance. The sliding doors didn't respond, but the Doctor simply produced the sonic screwdriver and buzzed it, causing the doors to unlock. "I'm guessing that's a long, strange story as well?" enquired Oliver, staring in awe at the screwdriver.

"This is my sonic screwdriver. It sonicks things," clarified the Doctor quickly as they pushed the doors open. Oliver frowned in bemusement and took a breath to respond, but thought better of it, instead directing his torch beam into the room to reveal a standard modern office. There were two doors to choose from; one to the left of the reception desk and one to the right. The Doctor led them to the left one and tried the handle, found it locked, and bested it with the sonic. He opened it a crack and peered into the darkness, listening intently. Detecting no danger, he swung it open and tiptoed into what appeared to be a corridor.

The floor was concrete and led down a gentle slope to more darkness and the whole place was tinged with a metallic odour. They could hear faint echoes of voices now, though how many and what they were saying was lost in the reverberation. Oliver turned the torch off and with great care not to make a sound, they progressed down the incline. As they progressed, the wall to their left suddenly dropped away to reveal an unfathomable space with great black silhouettes of machinery looming in the foreground. Light could be seen in the distance and the figures of numerous people moving about a platform. The Doctor put out a hand to quietly halt the others in the dimness. "Now, they haven't seen us yet-"

"Doctor…" Amy pointed at a red dot that had appeared on his head.

"What is it?" the Doctor touched his forehead, confused.

"You have a, uh…"

"Hands up above your heads, all of you!" a voice shouted brusquely. A group of three torches moved efficiently across the platform and advanced menacingly towards them. They all complied anxiously.

The torchlight blinded the group to their aggressors and Lorelei exclaimed as she was abruptly frisked.

"What the hell is this?" one of the men demanded of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

"Oh, that? That's my…screwdriver."

"This is a screwdriver?"

"I've been told it's a little odd to carry it around, but it's very special to me."

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"We're not from around here. The power went out and Oliver offered to take us here to see what's going on," the Doctor stuttered under the guard's fierce glare.

"Bring them over here!" a commanding voice called from the outlying walkway. The men hustled them down the remainder of the incline and across to a large suspended mesh area. A group of about ten armed men and women were gathered around a control interface. Several members faced them with guns whilst the rest continued working.

A tall, striking man in black cargo pants and a black leather jacket glared at them sharply, arms folded. His closely cropped brown hair and prominent cheek bones along with the stern gaze gave him a military air. "Why are you here?" he spoke with quiet authority.

"The power went out, and this is a power station…" explicated the Doctor meekly.

"And you thought you could fix it by nosing around here?"

"Well, I happen to be quite knowledgeable in…electronical things." The leader stepped brusquely to the Doctor so that their faces were inches away, though the Doctor was a little taller.

"Who are you?" he growled.

"You can call me the Doctor. Who are you?" The gun was up in a second and the Doctor shot up his hands defensively. "Alright, alright! I'll just call you Frank, okay?" The gun lowered slightly and 'Frank' grabbed the Doctor's wrist.

"You don't have a goldscanner." He checked the Doctor's other wrist and looked at him expectantly.

"No, I, err - gold isn't my colour." Frank held his gaze intently for a few seconds, then gestured to the armed troupe behind him.

"Lower your weapons." He smiled about as warmly as a camel in the Antarctic, but there was a passionate sincerity in his eyes that belied the callous exterior. "My name," he looked sharply at the Doctor, "is not Frank. My name is," he paused slightly for dramatic effect, "Danger. Captain Danger."

"No way," whispered Rory in awe and Amy slapped her palm to her forehead as he nudged her pleadingly. Lorelei stifled a giggle, glancing at the gun clutched in Danger's hand.

"We're on a mission here, Doctor," Danger stated. "You might like to join us. No, let me put it another way: you're either helping us or hindering us."

"To do what?" Danger turned back to his crew as though he had already dismissed the matter.

"To make the world a better place," he called over his shoulder as he marched over to the console where a young woman was typing furiously.

"You put the power out," Lorelei beat the Doctor to the question. "Why?"

"The goldscanners have brought a technological plague upon society," Danger spoke without turning around. "We're simply giving the world a wake up call."

"But the hospitals, the police…you've put lives in danger just to make a political statement!"

"They'll have back up generators, solar power," Danger countered swiftly. "Don't challenge me, girl." There was a thinly veiled threat behind the words and the Doctor quickly put a restraining hand on her shoulder as Lorelei took a defiant breath. "Estimated time?" Danger asked the woman at the controls as she typed.

"Five, maybe ten minutes."

"As fast as you can – we're sure to have company any second. Ben, how's phase two looking?" An older man in surprisingly modern black clothes answered.

"All the major cities here are online, but I've yet to hear of progress in America."

"It can wait. England first; one swift strike and things have to change."

"You honestly think the way forward is without electricity?" demanded the Doctor.

"This isn't about going back to the stone age, Doctor," Danger whirled on him passionately. "This is about ethics. As long as our energy comes from fossil fuels, we're living on borrowed time. This isn't a coup, this is a message."

"Then why are you encrypting the controls?"

"They come in here, turn it back on and nothing changes. This forces them to take alternative routes."

"Assuming they don't crack your code." Danger glared at the Doctor, clenching his fist.

"Danger, they're here,' His radio crackled. "You've got two minutes max."

"Smoke and tear gas!" Danger called and two members with grenades in hand darted forward, hurling them down the walkway. "Alice!"

"Ten more seconds!" She typed furiously, the concentration furrowing her brow. A pained shout echoed down the corridor as someone encountered the bitter haze followed by the static of a radio communication. It wouldn't be long before they found their way through the smoke.

"Done!" exclaimed Alice and immediately began packing up as quickly as she could. The Doctor looked at the control panel searchingly, but Danger seemed to sense what he was thinking and grabbed him roughly by the arm.

"You're coming with us," he ordered gruffly.

"Oh, no, I'm not sure that-" Danger cocked his gun, throwing a glance down the corridor as more shouts reverberated accompanied by footsteps. "Oh, alright then," the Doctor hastily changed his mind.

"Move!" They all hurried quietly through the semi darkness, Danger's troops leading the way. Amy, Rory, Lorelei, Oliver and the Doctor stayed close together, ushered hurriedly along dim sterile corridors. Only moments after they had vacated, the first few special ops police burst through the smoke field with gas masks. The leader took off her gas mask and quickly spotted the main console.

"Baker, Clarke, Rogers secure the premises; they can't be far away." Three of the group at once broke off and continued on the route Danger had taken whilst the others gathered around her. She typed something into the console and a red negative icon flashed onto the screen with a beep. "Get an expert in here, they've locked the controls."

Meanwhile, the group of rebels reached the exit and a young man cradling a handgun quietly opened the door a crack and peeped out. He frowned and, carefully closing it again, whispered to Danger:

"There are two down the right side. We'll be seen." Danger nodded gravely.

"Have you got your silencer?" The man patted the attachment on his weapon and turned to open the door again.

"No," the Doctor commanded softly. "No killing; there must be another way."

"There isn't," hissed Danger. "We can't be captured. It has to be this way, for a bigger cause. I'd give my life too, it I had to." The Doctor's jaw set, but he said nothing.

"Wait, what about a distraction?" whispered Amy urgently, pausing them. "They will have seen our car outside anyway; we can be civilians exploring. That's what we were anyway." Danger considered.

"Sound's a lot better than murder," the Doctor added desperately.

"We'll lead them away from you towards our car," Amy continued breathlessly.

"Um, sorry, what if they shoot us?" Rory interjected uneasily.

"They won't," reassured Amy. "We're civilians."

"Alright," Danger decided. "You and," he gestured at Rory, "him distract them. If they let you go, meet us at the bottom of the hill. And don't even think about giving us away, or things will have to get nasty for your friends. Got it?" Amy and Rory nodded nervously and picked their way to the door. Oliver handed the keys to Amy with an anxious smile.

"Good luck, Ponds," whispered the Doctor as they passed and Lorelei gave them an encouraging thumbs up.

"We wait until he isn't looking," clarified Amy in an undertone as they cautiously opened the door. "You grab it once we're out so it doesn't close," she directed the man with the silencer who nodded his assent. The two policemen outside turned to survey the car park and Amy and Rory slipped out. They began walking towards the policemen quietly when Amy turned to Rory. "I told you this was a stupid idea," she murmured accusingly.

"Wh-what? No, it, I, err…"

"'Let's go and see what's happening', what a great idea!" she continued, raising her voice a little.

"Well, you're the one who started it. I just agreed with you because you're scary!"

"Are you saying you're afraid of me? Your own wife!"

"You there! Hands where we can see them!" One of the policemen called, his gun in hand as they both began to approach cautiously. Amy and Rory instantly complied.

"We're not criminals!" squeaked Amy fearfully. "We were just seeing what happened. Our car is out the front there." The policemen stopped before them.

"You thought you'd come up here and have an explore in the dark?"

"Yes, well, it sounds stupid when you put it like that, but it was quite romantic at the time…" Amy explained shamefacedly.

"We needed a bit of excitement," added Rory. "She's been a bit sensitive lately," he put an arm round Amy, who shook if off in a huff.

"Don't you patronise me, Mister 'can I change my middle name to Danger, or Trouble…or whatever it was'!"

"Alright, settle down," the officer holstered his gun.

"Can we put our hands down now please?" Rory asked.

"Yes, yes. Back to your car then. This is no place to be right now."

Danger and his accomplice watched from a crack in the door as the policemen advanced back up the side of the building towards the car park. Danger tapped his friend on the shoulder, indicating that it was time to move. The door was opened painstakingly slowly to avoid any unwanted noise, and the group crept slowly in the opposite direction, treading lightly across the tarmac.

"Is there something going on, officer?" asked Amy innocently as they were escorted.

"Well, this power outage was no accident. You haven't seen anything, have you? Any other people here?"

"No, I don't think so. We might have heard a car leaving about ten minutes ago, but I'm not sure."

"That's alright. Just be on your way, then. Have a good evening."

"Thank you, you too officer." Amy took the keys from her pocket and found a button with an unlock symbol on it.

"Now, honey, I think I should drive," Rory advised.

"But this was my idea! I should get to drive."

"I don't think that's a very good idea, with the darkness and everything. And you don't know the car."

"Neither do...oh, fine, you drive." She tossed him the keys and slumped into the back of the buggy. Rory opened the front door and slid himself into the seat.

"Right then. Okay…" he went to put the keys in the ignition and, finding it missing, searched the rest of the car around his seat.

"Not having any trouble there, dear, are you?" Amy teased.

"It doesn't have an ignition," Rory whispered.

"But there's a key."

"Yes, a funny looking key thing with buttons…it looks like I have to slide it into something."

"Quickly, before they get suspicious," Amy whispered urgently, glancing at the policemen watching with amusement outside.

"I'm looking!"

"Well look faster."

"Yes, thank you for that advice. Ah, here it is!" He slid the key into a space to his left and turned it to 'on'. The car purred to life and he scanned hastily for gears. "Seatbelt," he called to Amy in a singsong voice.

"Just drive," she retorted.

"I'm getting to that. Right, it's an automatic, so if I just…" He pushed a lever to reverse, lightly touching the accelerator and the car moved slowly backwards. He gingerly turned around, not used to the dimensions of a three-wheeled car. The policemen watched them go, one with a raised eyebrow as Rory switched to drive, but pressed down on the accelerator a little too hard and the car shot clumsily forwards.

Danger and his troops efficiently packed their bags of equipment into the waiting black van, concealed behind a tree at the back of the building.

"We're going to have to push start it," Danger murmured. "No unavoidable sound."

"Can't you sonic it really quietly?" whispered Lorelei to the Doctor.

"It doesn't have a silent setting," he replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Even my phone has a silent setting!"

It's a sonic screwdriver! Can your phone unlock any door? Or interact with electronic devices?" They all pushed the van quietly and the driver steered it towards an inconspicuous back road.

"I don't know, I've never tried," murmured Lorelei mischievously as they shifted slowly forwards. Danger winced at the crunch of gravel, but the brake lights of the van had been covered up with black boards and, if anyone had looked, no one came to investigate.

"In!" undertoned Danger as they began to pick up speed and the crew quickly hopped inside one by one, having to jog and then run as the incline rapidly became steeper. Lorelei was at the very back and whimpered softly as the Doctor leapt in and the van started to pull away from her. She sprinted even faster; one hand still on the van, and the Doctor wedged himself in the doorway and reached out, Oliver coming to his aid and holding his waist.

"Come on, Lorelei, you can do it! Jump! I'll pull you in!" Lorelei looked uneasily at the opening, but she was tiring and every second gave the van more velocity. "Trust me, I've got you!" the Doctor encouraged. Lorelei gulped and, finding a last burst of speed, launched herself desperately at the doorway. She gasped as she flew through the air and saw that she wasn't going to make it, but the Doctor grabbed her as her torso reached him and pulled them both fully into the van. They both went sprawling onto the floor and one of the crew closed the door promptly behind them.

"I believe that's the third time I've tackled you today," panted Lorelei as they both lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"I'll have to make you a medal," grinned the Doctor as they painfully sat up. "You alright?" Lorelei tested her limbs and winced.

"Nothing broken. What about you? I didn't kick you…there again, did I?"

"No, you missed."

"Good. Thank you – I was almost road-kill there. At least, my legs were."

"All in a days work. Now, where are we going?" the Doctor addressed the watching group surrounding them.

"You'll see," Danger replied from the front passenger seat.

"All mysterious with you, isn't it?" the Doctor sulked. "I wonder how the Braxen are doing in the Tardis…"

A black bishop moved diagonally across the chess board and decimated a white castle, leaving approximately five white and eleven black pieces on the board.

"Not my last rook!" whined Rym's voice from within the console.

"You brought it upon yourself by taking that pawn," reprimanded his wife's voice. "Always too hasty in your decisions."

"Well, what about you? Losing your queen on your third move…" There was a pause.

"That was a strategic loss," Zimfa huffed stiffly.

"Was it, dear?"

"To lull you into a false sense of security."

"I don't like this game."

"You never like any games you lose."

"I haven't lost yet!" Rym's white queen moved to ruthlessly take the offending bishop.

The black van pulled up by the side of a strip of shops, followed by Amy and Rory in the electric buggy. They all disembarked and the black panels were quickly removed from the back of the van. Oliver walked over to Amy and Rory and Rory handed him the keys.

"Thanks for that."

"That's alright. How did you go?"

"Oh, it went fine. The policemen thought we were a strange couple and let us go."

"What happened to this side?" Oliver shone his torch on a now mud-streaked side of the car, including several leaves in the windscreen wipers.

"He ran into a bush," deadpanned Amy.

"I didn't run into it," defended Rory. "It was dark and this ditch just sort of happened and there was a bush next to it…sorry, Oliver."

"Don't worry about it," smiled Oliver. "It needed a wash anyway." They joined the main group as Danger led them to a nearby shop door and unlocked it with a standard key.

"What is this place?" asked the Doctor and Oliver obligingly shone his torch on the outside, illuminating the sign "Sammy's Salon". "A salon?" said the Doctor disbelievingly. "You own a salon? Captain Danger owns a salon?"

"I just live above it!" barked Danger. "I have nothing to do with it!"

"You don't…go there," suggested Lorelei impishly.

"No! I live above it! That's it!" Danger stormed into the salon, guiding them up some stairs to a surprisingly spacious room.

"Methinks the man doth protest too much," smirked the Doctor, soft enough to avoid Danger overhearing. Danger flicked a switch and light filled the space, revealing a computer station, table and chairs and boarded windows.

"Solar power," he explained proudly. "I have a generator."

"That's very impressive, Mr. Danger," complimented Lorelei. "But, why have you brought us here?" Danger swaggered over to her.

"Because I can't have you ratting us out to the cops," he leered.

"What if we promise not to?" Danger laughed.

"I have absolutely no reason to believe that. Besides, I'm a man of action, not words."

"So…if we promise not to and pinkie swear?" Lorelei held up her little finger and Danger looked at it incredulously.

"I can't risk letting you go. We're not going to hurt you, I won't stand for that, but you're all liabilities and not to be trusted."

"Not mates then," clarified Lorelei.

"What are you, Australian?" Danger condescended.

"And proud of it!" she snapped.

"Alright, so she's Australian, don't hold it against her," interrupted the Doctor before a fight broke out. "Anyway, Australians are cool; you have kangaroos and that nice rock," he appeased Lorelei. "But what I don't understand is why you're doing this. Electricity is a good thing, a very good thing; you should meet my mate Tommy Edison."

"If I told you that the chocolate you ate was farmed by poor starving Ethiopians who were exploited and abused by the company, would you still eat it?"

"But surely there are better ways to promote change than cutting off electricity?" Danger ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"We tried everything – petitions, letters, protests, threats; nothing worked."

"So, you're making the decision for everyone? Isn't that a violation of free will?" Amy joined in.

"So is prison and law and parents disciplining their children. Enough arguing."

"But,"

"I said no!" roared Danger, his temper flaring. "You are guests here, but try me and you'll become hostages. Now sit down and shut up."

"Pretty grumpy for a salon owner," whispered Lorelei as they obeyed, and the others smiled covertly.

Danger and his posse gathered around the computer area, talking softly as they worked. They seemed to have forgotten their visitors for the moment, but their partially concealed weapons were a frightening reminder of the circumstances.

"What do you we do now?" asked Amy of the Doctor softly.

"I'm thinking of a brilliant plan as we speak," he replied.

"How long do you think they'll keep us here?" enquired Oliver anxiously.

"They mentioned England and America – I'm thinking they'll try and extrapolate this to the entire world if they can. So far they've done London and I'm guessing they'll keep us here until they think their plans are unstoppable."

"This is feeling more and more like a James Bond film," muttered Oliver.

"We're shaken, but not stirred," murmured Amy with a wry smile.

"But, are these really the bad guys?" argued Lorelei. "They don't look like Blofeld or Dr. Evil. Well…" she glanced at Danger, "maybe a little like Dr. Evil, but they're trying to do good."

"What do you think Hitler thought he was doing?" pointed out Rory.

"But they haven't killed anyone."

"Because I stopped them," mentioned Amy proudly.

"But this could genuinely lead to a better future," insisted Lorelei. "Yes, people will have to cope without luxuries for a while, but investing in clean, ethical electricity would be worth that…wouldn't it?"

"Of course it would," agreed the Doctor. "But this isn't the right way to do it. We have to get out of here."

"How's that 'brilliant plan' coming?" Amy teased. The Doctor looked longingly at the door.

"Alright, I might be able to get out of here, but you'll all have to stay where you are. Oliver, I need your keys." He glanced over at their captors to make sure they weren't observed and surreptitiously took the keys from Oliver. "Thank you."

"You're going to drive a car?" exclaimed Amy in astonishment.

"If I can drive the Tardis through time and space how hard can a car be?"

"I want you to remember those words," Amy instructed, "and remember them well."

"Just stall them if I actually manage to escape and they notice. It all depends on the interior design of the bathroom…"

"As most important things in life do," remarked Lorelei dryly.

"Good luck gang," the Doctor smiled. "Oh, no; I don't like that. Good luck fellows, good luck buddies, good luck old chums…"

"You're getting worse," advised Rory.

"Yes, um, sorry. Good luck, anyway, various humans."

He stood and walked meekly over to Danger. "Excuse me, Captain Danger. Sorry to interrupt, but I was just wondering if there's a bathroom?" Danger scowled at being disrupted.

"Over there," pointed vaguely at a door behind the Doctor and immediately delved back into muted discussion with his comrades.

"Thank you," the Doctor bowed slightly and made his way over to the door. He glanced across at his friends who were watching intently and waved them away, gesturing for them to act casual. Satisfied, he entered the bathroom and turned on the light, closing the door gently behind him. It was small and modest, but practical with a shower, sink and toilet and a boarded up window above the toilet. The Doctor took his sonic screwdriver from his jacket pocket and, muffling the sound as much as he could, sonicked the window. He caught the screws as they fell and gingerly lifted the board away to reveal the inky blackness outside. "Of course it's above the toilet…" he whispered to himself as he pressed a button on the sonic to give him a luminescent green torch. Softly putting the lid down, he perched lightly on the toilet, carefully opened the window, and shone the sonic down the side of the building. It was a two storey drop to street level, but the roof of the salon sloped to a lip a metre of so below the window. He sighed, switching off the sonic, and tentatively manoeuvred himself onto the top of the toilet. A sudden flush made him gasp as he accidentally pressed the flush button with a foot and he fervently hoped that Danger had forgotten all about him by now and hadn't heard. Gradually, he managed to lower himself out of the window feet first until, just when he was almost hanging by his fingertips and about to drop his screwdriver, his feet brushed the roof and he allowed himself to let go. "Whoa," he exclaimed under his breath as he rapidly slid down the sloping tin. Just in time he was able to jam his feet against the lip to abruptly halt his descent. He sat still for a moment, listening for any passers by, before again turning on the sonic to judge the final drop. "Now a graceful leap to the ground," he murmured before taking a breath and leaping off the roof. He landed heavily and immediately crashed to the ground in an awkward tumble, but quickly sprang back up to his feet, dusting himself off. "Well, I'll tell them it was a graceful leap," the Doctor consoled himself as he limp-jogged to Oliver's car.

Lorelei's ears pricked up at the sound of the toilet flushing.

"What's he doing in there?" she wondered.

"Going to the toilet?" suggested Rory helpfully.

"That's his 'brilliant plan'?" scoffed Amy. "Going to the toilet?"

"Well, he hasn't come out," Rory noted.

"Give him time to wash his hands," Oliver chimed in. They all waited expectantly for a few moments.

"Do you think he's fallen in?" asked Amy with a trace of hope. The others giggled.

"Should we check?" Lorelei proposed. "He might have gotten his foot stuck…"

"Or maybe a space alien crocodile came out of the toilet and attacked him," offered Rory.

"Or maybe the toilet is a space alien that ate him," added Lorelei.

"Alright, I'm going to check," Amy declared. "If I don't come back, it's because we've both escaped…or something space alien has eaten us."

"Be careful!" Rory whispered as Amy got up and walked casually to the bathroom, deliberately ignoring Danger who was too absorbed to notice her, and closed the door behind her. The others waited in anticipation. Amy spotted the removed board immediately and swiftly clambered onto the toilet, poking her head outside. "Dark. Very dark," she murmured to herself as she realised she didn't have a torch. Flashing lights caught her eye and she looked over at the silhouette of the Doctor approaching Oliver's car as the head and rear lights flashed momentarily. "Doctor!" she whispered as loudly as she dared, but he didn't hear her. "Well, if he could do it…" Amy manoeuvred herself on the toilet, accidentally hitting the flush button as she did so, "Ooh, that explains it," and lowered herself out of the window. She felt the roof with the tip of her foot and let go, thudding onto the slope. "Whoa!" she slid uncontrollably down the slope, but managed to stop herself with her feet as the Doctor had. The sound of the car door closing caused her to hurry, and she lowered herself off the roof and dropped awkwardly to the ground. "Doctor! Wait!" she called in a hushed voice and sprinted to the car as it started up, headlights turning on. The car began to rev, but remained stationary and Amy smiled to herself as she ran. "You need to put it in gear," she directed as she slipped into the back seat.

"I-what? How did you get here?"

"I had to go to the toilet. And what was that you said about driving?" Amy smirked.

"Oh, shut up, Pond, and tell me what to do."

"You do realise I can't do both of those things?" The Doctor gave her an impish smile.

"Well, I've never known you to shut up and you love telling me what to do…"

"Careful, you. Find the gearstick and put it into drive, assuming this is a normal car."

"Ah, yes, I see." The Doctor did so and pressed his foot to the accelerator. The car leapt forward and he quickly eased off.

"Doctor, just a quick side note," said Amy anxiously. "I'd very much like to survive this trip." She gasped in horror as the Doctor narrowly avoided a street sign.

"It's alright, I'm used to it now," he assured her, concentrating immensely as they zoomed up the hill.

"We're going back there," Amy stated more than asked.

"We are."

"Where all the policemen with guns are."

"Yep."

"We're just going to walk in?"

"That's the plan."

"Well, you're going first." The Doctor smiled.

"I should go after Amy," Rory sighed shortly after the second toilet flush. "They're sure to notice soon, anyway." Oliver shrugged.

"Might as well. I certainly don't want to stay here." With a nervous smile, Rory stood and made his way over to the bathroom, cautiously opening the door. He jumped as a hand clapped onto his shoulder.

"You, what are you doing?" demanded Danger roughly.

"I'm just going to the toilet," said Rory as innocently as he could.

"Where's that man, the Doctor?" Danger looked sharply over at the group on the floor to confirm his suspicion.

"Um, I, err," Rory stammered as Danger pushed past him into the toilet and bellowed in enragement. "I didn't know!" Rory protested as Danger grabbed him fiercely by the collar, eyes blazing.

"Where is he?" Danger snarled, his grip tightening.

"I don't know," insisted Rory resolutely. "I was going to see what was taking so long."

"Liar," breathed Danger.

"No, I'm not. Seriously, he never tells us anything; he just sort of goes off and does his own thing." Danger took this in, but in a second the fire was back and he dragged Rory towards the group watching anxiously from the floor.

"Where is the Doctor?" he roared, keeping a vice-like grip on Rory. "Tell me," he pulled his gun from his holster and pointed it at Rory, "or I might do something you'll regret."

"Let him go," Lorelei demanded, standing. Danger glared wrathfully at her impertinence. "And I'll tell you," she finished. Danger kept his burning gaze upon her as he released Rory. "He's gone to stop you," she announced. "In fact, he's probably already there – he left ages ago." Danger sneered.

"No one can crack the code; it changes every few minutes."

"The Doctor isn't just anyone," Lorelei met his contempt with tenacity. "In fact, he's probably the only person in the world who can crack your code."

"Sit down, all of you," ordered Danger. "Sit!" He marched over to his associates to deliberate.

"She's bluffing, she must be," the woman who had set the code murmured. "It's a kamikaze system; it's not meant to be cracked by anyone, including ourselves!"

"But the device that man had," one of the burlier men retorted. "I've never seen anything like it – it was either a toy or something technologically unseen. And the way he looked at the controls…"

"Why didn't you take it from him?" hissed Danger.

"He said it was a screwdriver, just some thing he carried around. I was more engaged with finding out who he was," the man defended himself.

"You think he might be an agent?" Danger asked them.

"Well, he wasn't…normal," the burly man remarked.

"The police will still be at the plant, he'll have to find a way in. And we have hostages."

"With all due respect, Captain, are you kidding?" exclaimed the woman. "I mean, I know your name's Danger and everything, but that's practically suicide! We'll be trapped with the whole world knowing where we are!"

"But if this man's a big a threat as the girl says he is…they won't storm the place knowing there are hostages, that'll at least buy us some time. More time than if we just ambushed them. And if only a few of us go, at least the rest of the operation will continue, provided we stop the Doctor."

"You should change your name to 'Peril'," sighed the woman resignedly.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Danger acknowledged. "But this could change the course of history. I'll go with the hostages, but the more people that come the better chance we have. I won't force you – I know this is the most risky thing we've done yet."

"I'll come," said the woman softly.

"Me too," the burly man offered. Danger nodded gratefully.

"Three people, three hostages."

"Three? Weren't there five," another man asked.

"The other girl!" Danger realised. "She must be with the Doctor. Alright, let's load up and get going. It's a time race now."

"Do you know how to park?" Amy asked suddenly as the police cars came into view.

"Of course I know how to park!" the Doctor feigned offense.

"Are you sure? Because once you parked the Tardis in a swimming pool…"

"Alright, alright! What do I do?"

"See those white boxes drawn on the ground?"

"I park inside one of them?"

"I hope so." There was a policeman on duty at the entrance to the plant who watched with interest as the Doctor slowed the car to a crawl and manoeuvred exactly in between two parking spaces.

"How did I do?" he asked.

"If there had been a car in one of the spaces, you would've chopped it in half."

"That's a bad thing, isn't it?" Amy gave him a look. "Yes. Well, you're still alive. That's all I promised."

They walked confidently over to the policeman on guard who was, fortunately, different to the two who had met Amy and Rory.

"Who are you?" The Doctor whipped out his psychic paper, presenting it with a flourish. "Oh, very sorry, sir," the policeman apologised.

"That's quite alright, officer…" the Doctor looked at his badge, "Mossiface. Really?" He scrutinised Mossiface's clean shaven face.

"You don't look very mossy to me. Sorry, you probably get that all the time. Anyway, moving on. Nice to meet you, Mossiface." They sauntered on through the sliding doors, much to Mossiface's bemusement.

"This is why I don't grow a beard," he muttered to himself as the doors closed.

The black van sped uphill, largely apathetic to speed signs and corners. Inside, Danger and the other man checked ammunition as the woman drove and Rory, Lorelei and Oliver huddled together in a corner. They turned into the parking lot and Danger assessed the area from the window.

"Only one guard," he declared. "We can do this the easy way. I'll take him down. Chris, you keep an eye out for any others. Try to avoid any bloodshed." Chris nodded. "Kat, keep an eye on them until the coast is clear." Danger slid open the door and hopped out, walking calmly towards Mossiface who was watching keenly.

"Who are you?" he demanded as Danger approached.

"I'm…oh, sorry, I'm going to sneeze," Danger produced a handkerchief from his pocket, still walking towards him, and made to put it to his mouth. Suddenly, he pounced, wrapping an arm around the Mossiface's neck and shoving his head into the handkerchief. Mossiface struggled and grunted, muffled by the handkerchief, but gradually fell limp and Danger lowered him to the ground, keeping the handkerchief in place for a few more seconds before replacing it in his pocket. He speedily dragged the unconscious guard out of sight and wiped his hands on his pants. The chemical stench of chloroform tinged the air and the others joined Danger as he cocked his gun. Kat and Chris followed suit, priming their weapons. "I'll go first," Danger instructed. "Kat and the hostages next and, Chris, you cover the rear." Danger switched on a torch and they hurried through the sliding doors.

"Who's there?" the commanding officer ordered as several police shone their torch beams onto the emerging figures of Amy and the Doctor.

"I'm an expert, I'm here to help," called the Doctor. They continued calmly closer until they were fully illuminated, the Doctor holding up the psychic paper. "See? Now, what's your name?"

"Commander Webster at your service, sir."

"I'm the Doctor and this is Amy. Well, Commander Webster, what seems to be the problem?"

"From what I can gather from the specialists, the console has been encoded with a complex code that changes every few minutes, making it impossible to crack. I think they called it a 'kamikaze code'.

"Impossible to crack?"

"So far it has been. We're waiting on more equipment."

"Webster!" One of the policemen called out and they all turned their attention to the troupe approaching, too distant to make out their facial features.

"Identify yourselves!" demanded Webster. The leading figure paused and shoved someone in front, forcing them to walk as a human shield.

"Put your weapons down or I kill this man!" Danger shouted back, a gun to Oliver's head.

"That's Oliver!" gasped Amy.

"Do as he says, Commander," appealed the Doctor. "The hostages are my friends, and that is a desperate man." Webster looked at the Doctor sceptically, but allowed her instinct to take over.

"Lower your weapons," she commanded as Danger approached the platform.

"You've caused me a great deal of trouble today, Doctor," Danger drawled.

"And I hope to cause a great deal more," replied the Doctor. "Danger, I can't allow you to do this. I know it's for a greater cause and your intentions are good, but think of all the terrible things that have happened in the name of good intentions. Please, Danger, I'm begging you to stop this. There's always another way."

"Spare me your self-righteous speeches, Doctor," Danger sneered. "Tell me, are you a government agent? Is that why you don't have a goldscanner? What are you?"

"Your greatest friend and your worst enemy," cautioned the Doctor sincerely. "And I'm asking you nicely: let my friends go."

"And be captured or killed? Not the most tempting offer I've ever had…"

"I can stop that from happening; I can get you all pardoned, but you have to let this go. All of London is terrified and suffering."

"No," Danger grit his teeth.

"Then what happens will be of your own doing," warned the Doctor. "Just put the gun down." Danger shook his head.

"No. You're wrong." The Doctor gazed at him sadly and stepped towards the console, screwdriver in hand.

"Don't move!" Danger pressed the gun against Oliver's temple. The Doctor stopped, now only about a metre from the console.

"Oliver, I'm so sorry about this," he apologised. "But I know you're not afraid of the dark." He met eyes with Rory and Lorelei. "And your favourite animal is a duck." Oliver stared at him incredulously, as did everyone else. The Doctor glanced at Amy who was as bewildered as the others. "Yes, the duck is a majestic animal. I hope you continue to like ducks." Upon this last word, the Doctor activated the sonic screwdriver and immediately all the lights in the area were extinguished. And, suddenly, chaos reigned.

"Weapons up!" yelled Webster as Danger also shouted something indistinctly. Several guns fired with small bursts of sparks and someone cried out, scuffles and footsteps clanged and echoed through the chamber. The torches and lanterns flashed back on to reveal the Doctor grappling with Danger and Webster on the floor, clutching her side. Oliver, having heeded the Doctor's cryptic warning to duck, was wrestling in a similar battle with Chris, Rory trying to help, but getting continuously kicked away with powerful blows. Kat had rolled behind some crates and was firing intermittently with the remaining police firing back in a localised fire fight. Another policeman hurried over to try to pacify Danger, who in his desperation was as strong as two men.

"Doctor, the sonic!" shouted Lorelei amidst the chaos as she ran towards the Doctor, "can it call the Tardis?"

"Yes!" grunted the Doctor, locked in a twisted embrace with Danger. "Catch!" He let go of the screwdriver as he rolled Danger to the side and it clattered down a few metres away. Lorelei hurried over and picked it up. "Setting number one!" yelled the Doctor. Lorelei hastily applied the setting and pressed a button.

"Rym and Zimfa, can you hear me? It's Lorelei from the Tardis."

"Yes, we can hear you dear," Zimfa's voice came through tinnily. "What's all that noise?"

"We're in a bit of trouble here!" Lorelei shouted over the din. "This fanatic has turned the electricity off and put a code so we can't turn it back on. The whole city's panicking and we're stuck in the middle of a fight! I need to know if you can negotiate electrical systems like how you got into the Tardis."

"Yes, we can turn ourselves into basic atomic matter and break into machinery. Are you asking for our help?"

"Yes! Yes! I need you to crack the code and turn on the electricity again. If you got into the powerlines, could you find your way to the power source?"

"I suppose so, if there was no current and it left signal remnants. But is that not outside of the Tardis? We'd be blown away by the wind as soon as we left." Lorelei glanced over at the Doctor and winced as Danger managed to kick a policeman viciously in the knee, causing him to collapse with a howl. "It's looking like you might be our only hope!" she implored. "Please, the powerlines are just above the Tardis. What if you held on to the Tardis and each other to reach them? Look, I have to go." Lorelei spotted Webster. "I believe in you!" She pressed the button again to disconnect and sprinted past the Doctor and knelt beside the wounded Webster.

"Well, darling, looks like it's up to us to save the city," Zimfa announced to her husband.

"Are you sure? If we get blown away…"

"It would be just the same if the Doctor were to perish."

"But without the chess," reminded Rym.

"Yes. Without the chess. But this is our chance to prove our worth to the Doctor. And it's the right thing to do. We used to love doing the right thing."

"Before the Time War. Yes. Alright, let's do it. Shall I go first?"

"I'll hold onto you from inside," Zimfa consented.

For anyone observing the Tardis at that moment it would have been a strange sight indeed as the pink wispy form of Rym emerged from the top of the Tardis head first. His large eyes spied the powerlines a couple of metres above.

"It's going to be a stretch," he called down to Zimfa who was clinging to him from within the Tardis machinery, and began to draw out his form, reaching up for the powerlines. A gentle breeze pushed him somewhat sideways, but he remained attached to the Tardis. After a metre, Zimfa's head emerged, connected to Rym's tail. "Almost…there," Rym grunted as he extended upwards. They both cried out as a gust of wind propelled them sideways, whipping Rym away from the powerlines.

"I'm breaking up!" screamed Zimfa as her sparkling particles began to separate.

"Just hold on!" shouted Rym doggedly as they were buffeted mercilessly, straining to retain their form with all their might. Just in time, the wind subsided and they managed to touch the powerlines. "Let go!" Zimfa released her hold on the Tardis and they both disappeared into the line with a bright red zap.

"Give it up, Danger, you're outnumbered," grunted the Doctor as Danger's face turned red with the effort of their struggle.

"Quality over quantity," returned Danger, their arms both shaking as he inched the gun towards the Doctor's chest.

"That would be the quality of trying to kill me?"

"I gave you a chance. Now you're a threat," Danger persevered, knuckles white. The Doctor strained, trying to topple them again, but they were twisted tightly together.

"What's shooting me going to achieve? You've already hurt enough people today; end it now," the Doctor beseeched.

"No! You don't understand," breathed Danger through gritted teeth. "I've been fighting this for years! This is my life's work!"

"No, this is one moment in your life. A very important moment. Danger, make the right decision: drop the gun."

"No! Shut up, just shut up! You arrogant fool!" Danger roared and, in a fresh burst of furious strength, his gun hand drove the Doctor's arm powerfully back, aiming the gun at the Doctor's chest. Amy, helping the policeman with the injured leg, saw the Doctor's predicament. He caught her eye with an anxious glance and looked at her apologetically, the last of his failing strength finally sapped.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled and instantly sprinted to his aid as he hollered for her to stay back. Danger smiled grimly and tightened his finger on the trigger, paying no heed to Amy as she rushed towards them from behind him. The Doctor kept his gaze upon her concernedly as time seemed to slow down and braced himself for the cold bite of propelled metal. The gun fired as Amy lunged at Brent, tumbling into him. Simultaneously, the console sparked into life, beeping erratically as Rym and Zimfa rapidly decoded it.

"No!" shrieked Danger in despair as he heard the frenetic bleeps. He picked himself up, shoving off the Doctor, and tore madly towards the console, but two policemen blocked his way with their weapons aimed. Danger quickly glanced around himself, but then fell to his knees, defeated.

"Doctor! Doctor; are you alright?" Amy scrambled to her knees. The Doctor smiled weakly and she gasped as she saw blood seeping from beneath his shirt. "No, you can't be…" she protested, her voice cracking. "Rory! Rory!" she cried for help and Rory rushed over, dodging the police who were busy handcuffing Danger's surrendered colleagues.

"It's alright, don't panic," murmured the Doctor as Rory examined the wound. "That's my job. It's only a flesh wound."

"Doctor!" Amy exclaimed in exasperation, tears beginning to trickle down her face.

"Am I not allowed to quote the black knight when I have a flesh wound?" he responded, infuriating her even more. Lorelei arrived breathlessly with the sonic screwdriver.

"How do I scan you?" she demanded, hiding her dread under a business-like demeanour.

"Hold down the button." The Doctor gasped as Rory pressed down on the wound. "Gentle!"

"Sorry," Rory apologised. Lorelei scanned the Doctor with a buzz.

"Show me." She handed the Doctor the screwdriver and he inspected the data.

"Amelia Pond…" he murmured.

"What is it?" she took his hand anxiously.

"Good tackle," he smiled. Amy gazed at him in amazement. "That gun was aimed at my heart. Well, one of them. Like I said, it's only a flesh wound."

"The police have a medical kit," Lorelei smiled in relief and rushed away to fetch it. The console beeped at a higher pitch rapidly and machinery began to hum and drone, the lights in the building flickering on.

"Did you do that?" Amy asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No, but I have a feeling Rym and Zimfa are trying to get on my good side." Lorelei returned with a medical kit and passed it to Rory who began to work on the Doctor.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad," he winced as Rory began to bind the wound. "I mean, I've felt a lot better…"

"Have you felt a lot worse?" enquired Lorelei. The Doctor smiled.

"Yes."

Lorelei glanced at the console and gestured wildly for Rym to get back inside as he poked his head out curiously. She looked over at Webster who was lying inert with police attending her and watched as some ambulance officers dressed in dark blue uniforms arrived, hurrying over to her. There were hushed whispers and she looked away as one of the officers murmured, "I'm sorry," and they lifted her onto a stretcher, carrying her sombrely away.

Another middle-aged female ambulance officer, her blonde hair in a tight bun spotted their group and hastened over to the Doctor. He immediately objected vehemently.

"Oh, no, no, no – I'm fine, really. It's just a scratch. Rory's taking care of me – he's a nurse; nothing to worry about. I don't need an ambulance or anything," he babbled.

"Let me see," she said firmly and Rory reluctantly unwrapped the bandage. "You've been shot!" she exclaimed.

"Well, yes, but only a little bit," insisted the Doctor as she examined his eyes. "You really don't want to do that…" he warned as she took his pulse.

"Your pulse is racing so strangely," her eyes widened in astonishment.

"It's fine, I've just been under a bit of pressure with the guns and electrical sabotage…" She shook her head resolutely.

"You need to come to the ambulance – Mike, we need another stretcher over here!"

"No, that's really not necessary. Look: Rory's got it all dressed nicely."

"There could still be a bullet in there!"

"Souvenir," the Doctor grinned.

"You could get infected!"

"Rory won't let that happen, will you Rory?"

"No, of course not," Rory faltered. The officer regarded the Doctor sternly.

"You need to go to hospital."

"But, I don't like hospitals," he complained. "Look, I'm fine, really. I've got a medical facility in the Tar…truck."

"You have a medical facility in your truck?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Who doesn't?"

"It's true, he does. He's a Doctor, actually," Amy came to his rescue.

"Ah, that explains it," the officer declared. "Doctors are always the worst patients."

"Exactly, which is why you don't want me in an ambulance," maintained the Doctor.

"I'm going to get a stretcher for you," the officer announced. "Don't worry; we'll take good care of you." She jogged away as the Doctor groaned.

The last of the police left the building with their prisoners and they were alone. Rym and Zimfa, seeing that the coast was clear, materialised from the console.

"Well, we did it," Zimfa proclaimed. "But we can't go back, the current is too strong; it will pull us apart."

"But how will you get back to the Tardis?" Lorelei asked, concerned.

"We'll have to go in you."

"Good idea," interrupted the Doctor. "Let's go. I'm afraid you'll have to help me," he struggled to get up.

"What are you doing? You _have_ been shot," reminded Rory, catching him.

"I am not going to hospital," grunted the Doctor obstinately. "Think of the chaos when they get out the stethoscope! Come on, let's get a move on; she'll be back any minute!"

"Oh, alright." Together, they gingerly lifted the Doctor amongst them as Lorelei walked over to Rym and Zimfa.

"Get in, then, but no muscle control stuff!"

"Thank you," said Zimfa sincerely with what might have been a smile on a human, and they both zapped into Lorelei who staggered momentarily with the shock.

"Wh, what was that?" stammered Oliver.

"Oh, just some highly evolved humanoid life-forms." Oliver stared blankly.

"They're pink."

"Out the back way," the Doctor instructed, and they hurried through the labyrinth of walkways and corridors.

The ambulance officer returned with her partner carrying a stretcher between them. They stopped dead and looked about in bemusement.

"They were all right there," she asserted. "They must have run away."

"I thought you said someone was shot?"

"He was!" she defended. "But he was quite adamant about not going to hospital. He said he had a medical facility in his truck."

"His truck?" She shrugged. "Well, there's nothing more we can do, and we've already got our hands full with the others." She sighed and they strode back to the ambulance.

"They're all over the car park!" declared Oliver as he peered out the back door.

"They'll be gone soon. Just put me down for a moment," requested the Doctor and they gently lowered him to the ground.

"Are you alright?" asked Rory.

"Fine, fine; the Tardis will fix me up. Have we got Rym and Zimfa?"

"Here," they poked their ethereal heads out from Lorelei's chest with a quiet fizz. Lorelei jumped and stared at them, both awed and horrified.

"Ok, never do that again," she implored uneasily.

"The ambulance is leaving," reported Oliver. "I don't know about the police."

"Let's go," decided the Doctor. "After all, I have been shot."

"And I have aliens inside me," added Lorelei uncomfortably. Amy, Rory and Oliver carefully lifted the Doctor and they walked quickly towards the car. There were only two sleek police cars in the car park, their occupants evidently having returned inside to check on the facility.

"Doctor, you still have the keys, don't you?" Amy asked and he fished them out from his jacket pocket.

"Um, how are we going to do this?" Rory looked uncertainly at the two back seats of the car. "He really needs to lie down."

"What if Amy sits on Rory and he lies on top of us? If you take his legs they'll be elevated anyway…" suggested Lorelei.

"Good idea. Okay, so you get in first, Lorelei, and Amy and I will put him in." Awkwardly, but efficiently Amy, Rory and Oliver managed to gently position the Doctor across the back seat, lifting his legs to slide in themselves.

"Well, this is cosy," murmured the Doctor cheerfully.

"Do we get tea and biscuits now?" asked Oliver as he smoothly steered out of the car park and carefully down the hill.

"Oliver, you'll want to take a deep breath," cautioned Lorelei as they entered the Tardis. Oliver looked at her quizzically as they guided the Doctor into the blue police box, his jaw dropping as he beheld the impossibly sized interior. "Oliver, Tardis. Tardis, Oliver," Lorelei introduced them whilst Amy and Rory supported the Doctor as he scrabbled for a gun-shaped device, fiddling with it momentarily.

"Hold this," he handed Amy the sonic screwdriver, aimed the device at his bullet wound and pressed the trigger. A green laser engulfed the right side of his chest and he reeled into Rory. After several seconds the machine binged and shut off with a whump.

"Do I want to ask?" Rory propped up the Doctor again.

"Non-biological matter extractor. Dissolves foreign objects in a living organism." He lurched over to the console and took a pressurized syringe from a hidden compartment, discharging it into his arm. "There," he exclaimed with a contented sigh as he disposed of the syringe and eased himself into a chair.

"What, that's it? You're better?" asked Amy.

"I'm working on it! I was shot you know…perhaps some tea would speed my recovery," he added with an impish grin.

"I guess you deserve it," smiled Amy. "Rory, do you know where the biscuits are?"

"I'll help you."

"Can I come?" chimed in Oliver, still in awe of the Tardis. "I think I need a biscuit." Amy and Rory smiled understandingly and they left for the kitchen together.

Rym and Zimfa appeared from Lorelei with a now familiar electric shimmering sound.

"Could you please give me some warning when you're about to do that?" she shivered.

"Doctor," Zimfa addressed him. "We have helped you to restore the energy to this city. Now will you please help us? Return us to our people so we can live the rest of our lives in a happier time." The Doctor contemplated them intently.

"This is what you really want?" he asked softly. "To live in the past as you are now?"

"As soon as we leave the Tardis, we will be scattered into the sky," stated Rym with a touch of melancholy. "We'll live what is left as a consciousness watching our ancestors. Please, Doctor, this is all we have left." The Doctor nodded.

"I know." He eased himself out of the chair and quickly programmed the Tardis. With a whooshing and shuddering, they were speeding through spacetime and only moments later at their new destination. The Doctor hobbled to the doors and flung them both open to reveal a beautiful clear day in luscious endless rolling grassy hills. The sweet scent of healthy grass and an abundance of flowers wafted into the Tardis and the two Braxen drifted against each other as though they were holding hands and floated to the door.

"Thank you, Doctor," they murmured harmoniously. They turned to Lorelei. "Thank you." And they left the Tardis and in an instant were whisked away by the gentle breeze into millions of glistening pink particles. The Doctor and Lorelei watched on wistfully until he closed the doors and limped back to his seat. They both waited in pensive silence.

Lorelei, awaking from her reverie, stepped gingerly over to the Doctor.

"May I ask you a question? Just one. As a sentient being?" The Doctor looked up at her.

"Of course."

"If there were a planet wherein which ten percent of its inhabitants owned eighty-five percent of the wealth and forty-two percent of its inhabitants owned nine, and the economy was arranged in such a way that distributing the wealth equally would collapse it, what would you do?" The question seemed to gush out of her, despite her faltering, and the Doctor gazed at her for quite some time.

"Is this what you think about when you're with me?" he asked gently.

"You don't have to be in a life and death situation to think about life and death," she countered. "I've always thought about this, but you**…**you give me hope in humanity and myself when the world around me is filled with darkness and despair."

"When you're filled with darkness and despair?" Lorelei held his gaze for a moment.

"It's something no one talks about; you're supposed to be happy - and I am; I'm so fortunate and privileged – but these things are swept under the carpet, unspeakable things." She struggled to express herself. "And I…you deal with life and death situations every day, and do the right thing. I've never had that kind of situation before and I'm afraid that if I ever did…I'd fail. I'd be selfish or petrified or…die. I'd just die, like a character in a movie, and never be thought of again." Something sparked in the Doctor's eyes and, forgetting about his injuries, he got up and put a reassuring arm around her.

"That's not true, Lorelei. You're a very special human being."

"That's what I wanted to be," she murmured, "Special. That's what everyone wants to be. I wanted to save the world – I still do. This…tugging feeling inside me and all these doubts about life, God, the universe…" she paused, realising herself.

"I'm sorry. I've never told anyone, you shouldn't have to-

"I'm glad you told me," he said firmly. "Lorelei, you're the first person to ever say that to me. Can you believe that? The first person! In nine hundred years! Human beings, you're so beautiful! Lorelei, I've seen people do amazing things to help each other. I've seen people sacrifice themselves to save their friends. I've seen people betray and kill each other just so they could be rich. These things you're talking about, they may not be spoken of, but they exist in every human heart."

"Good and evil," she agreed. "But how do I know what I am? I don't even know myself!" Lorelei held onto the tears that were threatening to worm their way from her eyes.

"I do," said the Doctor softly. "And I can't see one ounce of evil in you; the most evil thing I've seen you do was throwing a pillow at Amy."

"She threw one at me first!" Lorelei protested.

"I rest my case," smiled the Doctor. "My pillow case, even." Lorelei grinned and then frowned again.

"But, what about my question: what would you do in such a world?"

"Exactly what you're doing now; I'd question and challenge and do everything in my power to make that world a better place." The Doctor lowered himself back down into his seat, but kept a thoughtful gaze upon Lorelei.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, still brooding, but attempting to hide it.

"There's more you want to say, isn't there?" She nodded with a small sheepish smile.

"But never the right words to say it with."

"How about raflmagnicot?" the Doctor beamed roguishly.

"Rafl-what-ni-what?"

"I thought it might be a good word to say something with," he explained. Lorelei smiled.

"What does it mean?"

"No idea, just made it up. But that's the beauty of it! If you can't find the words to say something with, make them up!" Lorelei laughed.

"Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of language?" she challenged.

"Flibblejinky."

"Banlazating!" she countered.

"Mingzip pipanong!"

"Goobidoop quing bob!" Lorelei called out as the others returned bearing tea and a plate of biscuits.

"Oh, sorry; wrong dimension," announced Amy.

Oliver smiled crookedly as light rain began to patter from the angry grey clouds overhead.

"You're all very strange, you know that, right?" he asked the party watching him.

"Strange is relative," replied the Doctor.

"Yeah, we know," Rory acknowledged in his stead.

"Well, thanks for the tea."

"Thank you for your help, Oliver," said the Doctor earnestly. "Without you, we'd still be in the dark."

"Literally and figuratively," smiled Amy.

"It was nothing."

"And sorry about your car," added Rory, shamefacedly.

"Don't worry about it; driving that box thing can't be easy," Oliver indicated the Tardis

"No, it's not!" agreed the Doctor animatedly. "No one appreciates that!"

"You parked the car in between two spaces," reminded Amy.

"That doesn't count! And it was dark. Anyway, we'd better be going. Oliver, it's been a real pleasure."

"Same here. Good luck doing…whatever it is you all do." And he walked into the night with a final smile as they waved and called goodbye.

The dim room remained undisturbed and waiting, shadows of raindrops projected onto the carpet in fragments through the cracks in the blinds. The soft beeping in time with the partially covered flashing blue light was the only sound in the hushed space. Outside, lichen grew on the plasterboard and crumbling tiles lay loosely on the roof. All was as it had been abruptly left, ignored and forgotten for years, until someone opened the rusted gate with an excruciating screech.

Two maroon sneakers crunched up the gravel path that had been left untouched for so long. The door groaned open, a cloud of dust pushing away from beneath as a long awaited breath of fresh air surged into the house.

"Doctor, what is this place?" asked Amy apprehensively as they entered.

"The house of an old friend," he murmured cryptically.

"How old?" she pursued with some trepidation, wrinkling her nose at the musty odour.

"In this timeline, about a hundred years. But, don't worry; she's not here now. We're here to see someone else." They crept up the stairs, Amy feeling no less anxious. The blue light flickered and the quiet bleeps sped up slightly.

"But, what are we here for?" asked Rory, perplexed. The Doctor turned to him.

"We're here to see Mr. Smith," he informed mysteriously. Rory searched his memory.

"No, that doesn't help at all." They ascended the stairs and the Doctor pushed open the door at the top. The room beyond was dim and eerie with the stale scent of long settled dust and shrivelled paper. At the very end of the room was a bulky shape covered in sheets, a faint tiny blue light glowing through the fabric. The Doctor walked confidently over to it as the others held their breath and whipped off the sheet. Clouds of dust came with it and they all choked and spluttered in the haze until it cleared somewhat.

"It's just a desk, isn't it?" Lorelei was the first to speak as they all beheld what did appear to be a somewhat unusual desk of wooden panelling.

"This is not how I anticipated that moment," grumbled the Doctor. "Mr Smith?" The foremost panel lifted up with a mechanical hiss as several other panels slid away, revealing a supercomputer concealed beneath, it's screen a swirling vortex of colour.

"Doctor," the machine spoke, startling the others.

"Why am I still surprised?" Rory admonished himself.

"How are you?" asked the Doctor as though addressing any other friend.

"Systems functioning at ninety-two percent efficiency." The Doctor nodded.

"Good, because I need to access your database. What do you know about Time Lord DNA?"

Immediately, volumes of images flashed up on the screen along with various symbols of another language. The Doctor devoured them all, intently focused as he rapidly processed the information. "Cross reference: Time Lord and human." Another wave of text and images bombarded them, the others struggling to take it in.

"How is he reading that?" exclaimed Lorelei, scowling in concentration.

"Show off," remarked Amy.

"Cross reference: Time War and human." The Doctor's brow furrowed as he absorbed the torrent of results, light from the screen playing upon his face. Flashes of images of war, disease, technology and nature inundated the screen, faster and in larger quantity than before. He stood in silence, deep in thought as the information ceased.

"What did it say?" asked Lorelei quietly, having realised this was about her. The Doctor half turned to face them, a fragment of image from the screen projected like the trail of a tear upon his cheek.

"You…can't go home." Lorelei held his gaze as she took this in, unable to speak. "If anyone were to discover your altered DNA…it would rewrite the course of history. The things they'd do to learn about…I'm sorry, Lorelei."

"But, what if I hide away? Live in the country away from civilisation? As long as I never go to hospital…"

"What if you get sick? Or lonely?"

"Or kidnapped?" added Rory and Amy elbowed him.

"What kind of life is that, hiding away by yourself?" continued the Doctor. "No, it's my fault and I'll find a better way."

"Your fault? Either I died or became part Time Lord: not much of a choice there, Doctor."

"You'd honestly want to live the rest of your life in hiding, away from your family and friends – all your old life?" He asked earnestly.

"Why? Why do I have to? What did that thing tell you?" she gestured wildly at Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Smith," said the Doctor quietly after a moment. "Probability of a young adult female being medically examined in her lifetime?"

"Seventy-eight percent."

"Probability of a medically examined Time Lord being discovered."

"Ninety-nine point seven percent." He glanced at Lorelei gravely.

"Probability of a known Time Lord living on earth living without harm?"

"Thirty-two percent."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith. Shut down systems." The super computer shut down quietly and the Doctor briskly replaced the sheet.

"So, what do we do?" asked Amy once they were back in the Tardis.

"Well, either we try and convert her back to a human or find her a new life."

"Convert? Like burning a CD?" questioned Rory.

"A little bit more complicated."

"You can do that?" Lorelei asked with trepidation.

"I can, yes. Whether it will work on your anomalous biology…"

"Hey!" she protested.

"But that's what it is!" he exclaimed as he lowered a foreboding piece of apparatus resembling a mechanical head band from above and began to fiddle with it.

"Doctor, you're insulting people again," reproached Amy.

"Humans!" he muttered. "I say hello and you get offended."

"It's not so much the saying 'hello'," Amy heard his griping. "It's the arriving by crashing into the Eiffel tower and not even bothering to say it in French that offends people."

"What is this thing going to do to me?" asked Lorelei, eying the machine apprehensively.

"Rewrite your Time Lord DNA as human, storing the Time Lord material in a bionic container. Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" The Doctor paused in his work.

"There's a little tiny very miniscule chance that it might…explode. Or reprogram the wrong DNA if I do it wrong, but that won't happen, so nothing to worry about really." Lorelei gaped at the Doctor as he resumed cheerfully.

"So," she tried to appreciate the situation, "the margin of error is basically it works perfectly or it kills me?"

"Basically, yes."

The Doctor stopped working and looked at her earnestly. "Lorelei, this is your choice. I can make it theoretically safer than getting into a car, but it will hurt. A lot. And anything that contained my DNA will be gone, including memory. But it'll be in this." He held up a silver fob watch with intricate Gallifreyan engravings on its face. "You won't recognise it, or even ever open it unless someone tells you what it is. But we'll keep an eye on you, and if the world is ever ready for another Time Lord…"

"This is my choice?" Lorelei's composure began to waver, her eyes gleaming with tears. "Run and hide forever or rewrite who I am? Why can't I stay with you, visit my family in the past so they'll never know I'm gone?" He shook his head sadly.

"I can't do that. You deserve to live a normal life."

"I don't want to live a normal life!" Lorelei objected. "How can I after all of this? I never wanted a normal life. You can't argue you don't have room," she responded to the Doctor's frown and he sighed.

"If I take you with me, there's a high chance someone will discover what you are."

"Why is that a bad thing? You're a Time Lord."

"Not everyone likes Time Lords," he cautioned. "Think of all the people we've met so far who wanted to kill me and multiply that by something big."

"Well, you've survived so far."

"Not exactly…" he hesitated as he tried to phrase an explanation.

"What?" Lorelei was thoroughly perplexed. "But, you're standing here now; how can there be anything in between surviving and not surviving?"

"Well, err, you know how some lizards can grow new tails-"

"You're a lizard man?" she gaped.

"Ababababa, let me finish!" She closed her mouth. "Similar to, but not at all related to said lizards, I can kind of grow a new body. Regenerate. If I die."

"You're immortal," she gasped.

"No, I can still die. And I can only regenerate a certain amount of times."

"You're old."

"I prefer wise: the wise Doctor. Much better." He smiled to himself.

"I want to stay with you," said Lorelei in a small voice. He looked at her wistfully.

"I'm sorry."

The forest was black and still, the occasional whisper of wind or brushing of leaves as something scurried on its way disturbing the dark silence. The Tardis sat unmoving on the track, completely at odds with the surrounding lush Australian forest. A sharp crackling sound emanated from within, blue light flashing from its windows as sudden agonised screams pierced the still night outside. The Doctor, Amy and Rory watched on from within grimly, lips set in pained determination. Until, finally, it was done, and the Doctor and Rory, eyes strained and tired, gently lay the unconscious Lorelei onto the couch.

"Did it work?" asked Rory shakily. The Doctor fetched a stethoscope and listened intently, moving it from one side of Lorelei's chest to the other.

"Definitely one heart," he whispered, and scanned her quickly with the sonic. "She's human, no malignant abnormalities" he announced quietly, almost sadly as they gazed at her forlornly. Amy cautiously picked up the glowing fob watch, its golden shimmer reflected upon her face.

"And this…?" she turned it gingerly over in her hand. The Doctor nodded.

"Biology, personality, memory of a Time Lord." She handed the watch to him and he carefully tucked it into Lorelei's jacket pocket. "She deserves to keep it."

"We're just leaving her here, just like that?" Rory asked. "She won't even know…?"

"She'll have dreams," murmured the Doctor. "And traits she can't explain." He carefully fitted a thin silver bracelet around her wrist. "This will let us know if she's ever in danger or if the watch is ever opened." He leant down and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair fondly. "Time to farewell a friend; help me get her outside." The crisp fresh smell of the forest wafted into the Tardis as they carried her out into the rising dawn and laid her carefully on the ground. "She'll be awake soon," the Doctor took one last tearful look at her and, spinning on his heel returned briskly to the Tardis without looking back.

"Goodbye, Lorelei," Amy hugged her tearfully, kissing her cheek. "I'll never forget you."

"Goodbye." Rory kissed her forehead tenderly, and they stepped into the Tardis together. The dark blue door closed with a click and almost immediately the mechanical whooshing sound began. Dust and leaves whirled through the air as the Tardis left the forest for the last time just as golden beams of misty sunlight began to stream through the trees.


End file.
